Notes for subject GECSTS- SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY

Prepared by: Suzanne S. Guanzon, MAEd, CHMSC Alijis

For: BSIT I-B, I-C, I-E and BS INFO 1A and BS INFO 1B

BRIEF HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE

PHILIPPINES

The history of science and technology in the Philippines started way back before the
country gained its independence from the American private schools.

In basic education, science education focuses on nature studies and science and
sanitation, until it became a subject formally known as “Science”.

SANITATION- Conditions relating to public health, especially the provision of clean

drinking water and adequate sewage disposal.

The desire of the Americans to develop the human resources of the Philippines to serve
their own interests is, somehow, beneficial in the country. These allowed American
scholars to introduce new knowledge and technology in the country.
However, World War II has destabilized the development of the country in many ways.
Institutions and public facilities were turned into ashes, houses were burned, and many lives
were destroyed.

Since the establishment of the new republic, the whole nation has been focusing on using
its limited resources in improving its science and technological capability. It has explored the use
of ODA or Overseas Development Allocations from different countries to help the country
improve its scientific productivity and technological capability.
There are influences in the Development of Science and Technology, both internal and
external.

Internal Influences

1. Survival
2. Culture
3. Economic Activities

External Influences

1. Foreign Colonizers
2. Trades with Foreign Countries
3. International Economic Demands

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 Government Policies on Science and Technology

The Philippine government introduced and implemented several programs, projects and
policies to boost the area of science and technology. The goal is to prepare the country
and its people to meet the demands of a technologically driven world and capacitate the people to
live in a world driven by science.

The NCRP (National Research Council of the Philippines) clustered these policies into
four, namely
1. Social Sciences, Humanities, Education, International Policies and Governance
2. Physics, Engineering and Industrial Research, Earth and Space Sciences and
Mathematics
3. Medical, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
4. Biological Sciences, Agriculture and Forestry

Existing Programs Supported by the Philippine Government through the DOST

1. Providing funds for basic research and patents related to science and technology.
2. Providing scholarships for undergraduate and graduate studies of students in the field of
science and technology
3. Establishing more branches of the Philippine Science High School System for
training young Filipinos in the field of science and technology.
4. Science and Technology Parks
5. Balik Scientist program to encourage Filipino scientists abroad to come home and
work in the Philippines or conduct research and projects in collaboration with Philippine-
based scientists.
6. Establishment of National Science Complex and National Engineering Complex within
the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman

CAPACITY-BUILDING PROGRAMS

1. National Centers of Excellence

2. Engineering and Science Education Program
3. Regional Centers to support specific industries
4. Science and Technology business centers
5. Strengthen science education through the Philippine Science High School System

In the field of education, special science classes were organized and special science
elementary schools were established in different regions.
The current K to 12 education program included Science, Technology , Engineering and
Mathematics (STEM) as one of its major tracks in the senior high school program.

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 The PICARI or Philippine-California Advanced Research Institutes Project allowed
several higher education institutions in the Philippines and some US-based laboratories, research
institutes and universities to work on research and projects related to science, agriculture,
engineering, health and technology. This project is hoped to strengthen the STEM
competitiveness of the country.

FAMOUS FILIPINOS IN THE FIELD OF SCIENCE

1.Ramon Cabanos Barba - tissue culture in Philippine mangoes
2. Josefino Cacas Comiso – for his works on observing the characteristics of Antarctica by
using satellite images
3. Jose Bejar Cruz Jr. – known internationally in the field of electrical engineering
4. Lourdes Jansuy Cruz – research on sea snail venom
5. Fabian Millar Dayrit – for his research on herbal medicine
6. Rafael Dineros Guerrero III – for his research on tilapia culture
7. Enrique Mapua Ostrea Jr. – for inventing the meconium drugs testing
8. Lilian Formalejo Patena- for doing research on plant biotechnology
9. Mari-Jo Panganiban Ruiz – for being an outstanding educator and graph theorist
10. Gregory Ligot Tangonan – for his research in the field of communications technology

There are other outstanding Filipino scientists who are recognized here and abroad for
their outstanding contributions of science.
a. Cesar A. Saloma – an internationally renowned physicist
b. Edgardo Gomez- famous scientist in marine science
c. William Padolina- chemistry and president of National Academy of Science and
Technology-(NAST) – Philippines
d. Angel Alcala – marine science
SCIENCE EDUCATION IN THE PHILIPPINES
The Concept of Science Education
Science education focuses on teaching, learning and understanding science. Science
education is justified by the vast amount of scientific knowledge developed in this area that
prepares citizen in a scientifically and technologically driven world.

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 SCIENCE EDUCATION IN BASIC AND TERTIARY EDUCATION
In basic education , science education helps students learn important concepts and facts
that are related to everyday life (Carale & Campo,2003, etc.) including important skills such as
process skills, critical thinking skills, and life skills that are needed in coping up with daily life
activities (Chaille & Britain, 2002). Science education also develops positive attitude such as: the
love for knowledge, passion for innovative things, curiosity to study about nature and creativity
(Lind, 1997).
Science Schools in the Philippines
1. Philippine Science High School System (PSHSS)
2. Special Science Elementary Schools (SSES) Project
3. Quezon City Regional Science High School
4. Manila Science High School
5. Central Visayan Institute Foundation
Indigenous Science and Technology in the Philippines
Indigenous knowledge is embedded in the daily life experiences of young
children as they grow up. They live and grow in a society where the members of the
community prominently practice indigenous knowledge. Their parents and other older
folks served as their first teachers and their methods of teaching are very effective in
transmitting cultural knowledge in their minds.
Some examples of indigenous knowledge that are taught and practiced by the indigenous
people are:
a. predicting weather conditions and season using knowledge in
observing animals’ behavior and celestial bodies
b. using herbal medicine
c. preserving foods
d. classifying plants and animals into families and groups based on cultural
properties
e. preserving and selecting good seeds for planting
f. using indigenous technology in daily lives
g. building local irrigation systems
h. classifying different types of soil for planting based on
cultural properties

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 ì. producing wines and juices from tropical fruits; and
h. keeping the custom of growing plants and vegetables in the yard.
The Concept of Indigenous Science
1.Indigenous science uses science process skills such as observing, comparing,
classifying, measuring, problem solving, inferring, communicating and predicting.
2.Indigenous science is guided by culture and community values such as the following:
a. The land is a source of life. It is a precious gift from the creator.
b. The Earth is revered as “Mother Earth”. It is the origin of their identity as people.
c. All living and nonliving things are interconnected and interdependent with each
other.
d. Human beings are stewards or trustees of the land and other natural resources.
They have a responsibility to preserve it.
e. Nature is a friend to human beings- it needs respect and proper care.
3. Indigenous science is composed of traditional knowledge practiced and valued by
people and communities such as ethnobiology, ethno-medicine, indigenous farming
methods and folk astronomy.
HUMAN FLOURISHING

Eudamonia, literally, “good spirited”, is a term coined by renowned Greek

philosopher Aristotle (385-323 BC) to describe the pinnacle of happiness that is
attainable by humans. This has often been translated into “human flourishing” in
literature, arguably likening humans to flowers achieving their full bloom.
As times change, elements that comprise human flourishing changed, which are subject
to the dynamic social history as written by humans. People found means to live more
comfortably, explore more places, develop more products, and make more money, and
then repeating the process in full circle.
In the beginning, early people relied on simple machines to make hunting and
gathering easier. This development allowed them to make grander and more
sophisticated machines to aid them in their endeavors that eventually led to space
explorations, medicine innovations and ventures of life after death.
Humans of today are expected to become a “man of the world”. He is supposed to
situate himself in the global neighborhood, working side by side among institutions and
the government to be able to reach a common goal.
Competition as a means of survival is a thing of the past; coordination is the new
trend.

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 WESTERN EASTERN
a. More focused on the individual a. Community-centric
b. Aims for eudamonia,or for the b. Community takes the highest
greater good regard that the individual
should sacrifice

SCIENCE AS METHOD AND RESULTS

1. Observe and determine if there are unexplained occurrences unfolding.

2. Determine the problem and identify factors involved.
3. Through past knowledge of similar instance, formulate hypothesis that could explain the
said phenomenon. Ideally, the goal is to reject the null hypothesis and accept the
alternative hypothesis for the study “to count as significant” (can also be separated into
additional steps such “to generate prediction” or “”to infer from past experiments”.
4. Conduct experiment by setting up dependent and independent variables, and trying to
see how independent ones affect dependent ones.
5. Gather and analyze results throughout and upon culmination of the experiment.
Examine if the data gathered are significant enough to conclude results.
6. Formulate conclusion and provide recommendation in case others would want to
broaden the study.

VERIFICATION THEORY
For example, Einstein’s theory on the existence of gravitational waves would,
following this thought be dismissed due to lack of evidence almost a hundred years ago.
This theory completely fails to weed out bogus arguments that explain things
coincidentally.
A classic example is astrology, whose followers are able to employ the
verification method in ascertaining its reliability. The idea is that since one already has
some sort of expectations on what to find, they will interpret events in line with said
expectations are not testable and thus not falsifiable, and subsequently questioning their
status as scientific.

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For example, Einstein’s theory on the existence of gravitational waves would, following
this thought be dismissed due to lack of evidence almost a hundred years ago.
This theory completely fails to weed out bogus arguments that explain things
coincidentally.
A classic example is astrology, whose followers are able to employ the
verification method in ascertaining its reliability. The idea is that since one already has
some sort of expectations on what to find, they will interpret events in line with said
expectations.
FALSIFICATION THEORY
The falsification theory asserts that as long as an ideology is not proven to be
false and can best explain a phenomenon over alternative theories, we should accept the
said ideology. Due to its hospitable character, the shift to this theory allowed emergence
of theories otherwise rejected by verification theory.
It does not promote ultimate adoption of one theory but encourages research in
order to determine which among the theories can stand the test of falsification.
Karl Popper is the known proponent of this view. He was notorious for stating
that up-and-coming theories of the times, such as Marx’s Theory of Social History and
Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis.are not testable and thus not falsifiable, and
subsequently questioning their status as scientific.
Science as a Social Endeavor
Due to inconclusiveness of the methodologies previously cited, a new school of thought
on the proper demarcation criterion of science emerged. Several philosophers such as
Paul Thagard, Imre Lakatos, Helen Longino, David Bloor, and Richard Rorty, among
others, presented an alternative demarcation that explores the social dimension of science
and effectively, technology.
Sciences cease to belong solely to gown-wearing bespectacled scientists at
laboratories. There are some tribes which do not regard western science as their science.
Whatever their science is, it can be ascertained that it is in no way inferior to that of
globalized people’s science.
Science and Results
For the most part, people who do not understand science are won over when the
discipline is able to produce results. Similar to when Jesus performed miracles and
garnered followers, people are sold over the capacity of science to do stuff they cannot
fully comprehend.
In this particular argument, however, science is not the only discipline which is
able to produce results- religion, luck and human randomness are some contemporaries in
the field.

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 Science as Education
Aforementioned discussion notes that here is no such thing as a singular scientific
method, offering instead a variety of procedures that scientist can experiment with to get
results and call them science. Discoveries in physics, specifically in quantum mechanics,
appeared to have debunked the idea of objectivity in reality, subscribing instead to the
alternative idea called intersubjectivity.
If one is really in pursuit of human flourishing, it would make sense for them to
pursue it holistically. Simply mastering science or technology would be inadequate if we
are to say, socialize with people or ruminate on our inner self. Aristotle’s eudaimonic
person is required to be knowledgeable about science, among other things of equal
importance.
A true eudaimon recognizes that flourishing requires one to excel in various
dimensions, such as linguistic, kinetic, artistic and socio-civic.
Economists believe that growth is the primary indicator of development, as both
go hand in had, and has put forth their resources in trying to achieve as such. Technology
has been a primary instrument in enabling them to pursue said goal, utilizing resources,
machineries, and labor. What is missing in this equation is that growth presents an
illusory notion of sustainability-the world’s resources can only provide so much, it cannot
be expected to stretch out for everybody’s consumption over a long period of time
The rapid pace of technological growth allows no room for nature to recuperate,
resulting in exploitation and irreversible damages to nature.
Right now, we are experiencing repercussions of said exploits in the hands of
man-made climate change, which would snowball and affect majority of flora and fauna,
driving half of the latter extinct in less than a hundred years from now. If this continues
in its currently alarming rate, we might bring about our own extinction.

Technology as a Way of Revealing

1. The Human Condition Before the Common Era
Our early ancestors’ primal need to survive paved way for the invention of several
developments. Gifted with brains more advanced than other creatures, humans are able
to utilize abundant materials for their own ease and comfort.
As it is difficult to pinpoint the particular period where technology is said to have
started, one can say that at the very least, the motivation to make things easier has been
around since humans are. Homo erectus have been using fire to cook , through chipping
one flint over the other to produce a spark, all the while without realizing the laws of
friction and heat.

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Tools from stone and flints marked the era of the Stone Age. This particular period
proved to be difficult for our ancestors, but in a remarkably distinct way. There is little to
no written accounts expect for several cave drawings and unearthed artifacts from various
parts of the world that narrate how their culture came to be.
Soon enough people discovered minerals and began forging metalwork. They
realized that these substances are more durable, malleable, and have more luster than the
previous material. Fur clothing and animal skin are primarily used for comfort against
harsh winds.
Some of those found at excavation sites are reminiscent of early accessories, suggesting
that our ancestors have been deeply engaged in the concept of beauty. Perhaps, they had
taken a liking to a certain shiny stone, or a perfectly shaped bone, and wanted to wear it
as trophy.
What does this tell of them and their philosophies? Were they perhaps proud to
show off their hunt and how good of a hunter they were? Were they concerned with
social standing and stratification?How about the meaning of life? Were they also curious
on finding explanations to certain phenomena?
At least for the last question it seems that they have found their answer in the person of
religion. Excavation on the latter half of the Stone Age include several figures thought to
be ceremonial, meaning , that perhaps people of the time had also painstakingly wrought
and hewed said figures in honor of some deity. This notion , as it was then and as it is
now, is often people’s resort to make sense of events happening outside their control.

The initial roster of primitive gods includes objects they encounter through their
day-to-day lives, so it is not surprising that different tribes may have different gods.

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Nevertheless, it can be positively inferred that like the people of today, our ancestors also
found the need to explain things in a way that makes sense to them. They quickly
realized that there are events outside of their control and attempted to justify things as ing
a work of a supernatural being.
Throughout the course of history, religion remains most easily grasped.
Admittedly, once people stop connecting the dots between cause and effect, they turn to
something that could possibly explain their inadequacies in making sense of the world.
THE HUMAN CONDITION IN THE COMMON ERA
For a long time, humans were content with their relationship with nature. Earliest case
of man-made extinction occurred over 12,000 years ago, possibly brought upon by
hunting and territorial disputes.
The Holocene exctinction, also called the sixth extinction or more aptly
Anthropocene extinction, occurred from as early as between 100,000 to 200,000 years up
to the present. It pertains to the ongoing extinction of several species-both flora and
fauna-due to human activity.
People back then had a new objective- gather as much products as much as possible.
They have turned to wealth as one of their goals as humans and ultimately as
civilizations, for they perceived that those who live comfortably and thus are generally
happier than those who do not have sufficient wealth.
Technology has been instrumental in all of these because in searching for the
good life, people were able to come up with creations that would make life easier, more
comfortable and more enriching.

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 Position –wise, the humans of today are much better off compared to humans several
centuries ago. Advancements in medicine, technology, health and education ushered in
humanity’s best and showed no sign of stopping.
1. Mortality Rate- Due to technology, lesser women and children die during birth,
assuring robust population and strong workforce.
2. Average Lifespan – Aside from the reason that people engage less in combat
and are les likely to die in treatable diseases now as opposed to then, science is able to
prolong lives by enhancing living status and discovering different remedies to most
diseases.
3. Literacy Rate – Access to education provided to more individuals generally
creates a more informed public that could determine a more just society.
4. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) - Although not an indicator of an average
person’s lifestyle in a certain country, it is often used to determine the value of the
country’s goods and services produced with the territory given a certain time period.

The Essence of Technology

Humanity has indeed come a long way from our primitive ways, and as a general
rule, it is said that we are more “developed” than we were before. Modern humans are
reliant on technology in their search for the good life.
We see ways and means from nature to utilize and achieve growth- a goal that we
believe would bring forth betterment.
In retrospect, this view of technology proves to be goal-oriented. It assumes that
it is instrumental in achieving a goal in mind, that it is a purposeful, deliberate humans
steer in order to reach some greater good.
Some tried to redefine technology away from its purpose:
1. One philosopher by the name of Martin Heidegger argue that is essence, or purpose, and
being are different from each other.
2. The second perspective paints technology in such a way that each period reveals a
particular character regarding man’s being.
Rather than thinking that humans have a clear idea of what to expect in a good
life, it can be stated that technology allows humans to confront the unknown and see
how they would react.
This is not a good thing altogether though, for technological relation is but one of the
many ways to perceive the world. However, as long as humans are invested in growth
and development, we cannot distance ourselves from this perspective.

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 Humans are reduced into the amount of productivity they are able to render
during their lifetime and our current mindset is geared toward which would utilize their
own skills. A good life is one which is practical in essence; a life which makes use of our
labor and which we get compensated fairly upon.
This is the danger presented by too much reliance on technology. Humans lose track of
things that matter, reducing their surroundings to their economic value.
Rejecting a working, tried and tested process seems foolish, more so, knowing
that there are no options of equal value. It will be absurd to venture the dark and the
unknown, but should be done in order for us to retrace our steps to be able to achieve the
Good.
Backtracking the Human Condition
Technology’s initial promises proved to be true, regardless of its ramifications.
All in all the human condition improved, only if by improving we measure the level of
comfort, various scientific breakthroughs, and improved lifestyles of those who h ad the
luxury to afford to do so.
As to the initial aims, it appears that things really did not much differ. Some
places in the world are still battling for their daily survival-diseases, tribe wars, lack of
habitable territories, and competitions on resources are several factors contributing to
such.
A lot of people still subscribe to religion in explaining things that they do not know. For
those who have ceased to do so,,,,, they have turned their worships to reverence of
science. Whether science or religion, these people are still bent on trying to make sense
of the events happening the world on the basis of either of these two paradigms.
People are still trying to make sense of their existence in the world, and technology does
little to aid them in their pursuit of life’s meaning.
It seems that the human condition , although more sophisticated, is nothing but a
rehashed version of its former self.
The Good Life
It is interesting to note that the first philosopher who approached the problem of
reality from a “scientific” lens as we know now, is also the first thinker who dabbled into
the complex problematization of the end goal of life: happiness. This man is none other
than Aristotle.
Compared to his teacher and predecessor, Plato, Aristotle embarked on a
different approach in figuring out reality. In contrast to Plato who though that things in
this world are not real and are only copies of the real in the world of forms, Aristotle puts
everything back to the ground in claiming that this world is al there is to it and that this
world is the only reality we can all access.

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 For Plato, change is so perplexing that it can only make sense if there are two
realities: the world of forms and the world of matter.
Consider the human person. When you try to see yourself in front of the mirror,
you normally say and think that you are looking at yourself- that is, you are the person
who slept last night and you are the same person looking at yourself now, despite the
occasional changes like a new pimple that grows on your nose.
For Plato, this can only be explained by postulating two aspects of reality, two
worlds if you wish: the world of forms and the world of matter.
1. World of forms – Things are changing and impermanent
2. World of matter – The entities are only copies of the ideal and the models and
forms are the only real entities
Aristotle, for his part, disagreed with his teacher’s position and forwarded the idea
that there is no reality over and above what the sense can perceive.
Consider a seed that eventually germinates and grows into a plant. The seed that turned
to become the plant underwent change- from the potential plant that is the seed to its full
actuality, the plant.
No individual- young or old, fat or skinny, male or female- resists happiness. We all
want to be happy. Aristotle claims that happiness is the be all and end all of everything
that we do.
What Aristotle actually means is human flourishing, a kind of contentment in knowing
that one is getting the best out of life. A kind of feeling that one has maxed out his
potentials in the world, that he has attained the crux of his humanity
Happiness as the Goal of a Good Life
In the eighteenth century, John Stuart Mill declared the Greatest Happiness
Principle by saying that an action is right as far as it maximizes the attainment of
happiness for the greatest number of people.
The ethical is, of course, meant to lead us to the good and happy life.
1. Materialism
The first materialists were the atomists in Ancient Greece, Democritus and
Leucippus led a school whose primary belief is that the world is made up of and is
controlled by the tiny indivisible units in the world called atomos or seeds.
Atomos simply comes together randomly to form the things in the world. As such,
only material entities matter. In term of human flourishing, matter is what makes us
attain happiness.

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 2. Hedonism
The hedonists, for their part, see the end goal of life in acquiring pleasure.
Pleasure has always been the priority of hedonists. For them, life is about obtaining and
indulging in pleasure because life is limited. The mantra of this school of thought is “Eat,
drink and be merry.”
3. Stoicism
Another school of thought led by Epicurus, the stoics espoused the idea that to
generate happiness, one must learn to distance oneself and be apathetic. The original
term, apatheia, precisely means to be indifferent. For the stoics, happiness can only be
attained by a careful practice of apathy.
We should , in this worldview, adopt the fact that some things are not within our
control. The sooner we realize this, the happier we can become.
4. Theism
Most people find the meaning of their lives using God as a fulcrum of their
existence. The Philippines, as a predominantly Catholic Country, is witness to how
people base their life goals on beliefs that hinged on some form of supernatural reality
called heaven. The ultimate basis of happiness for theists is the communion with God.
The world where we are in is only just a temporary reality where we have to maneuver
around while waiting for the ultimate return to the hands of God.
5. Humanism
Humanism as another school of thought espouses the freedom of man to carve his
own destiny and to legislate his own laws, free from the shackles of a God that monitors
and controls. For humanists, man is literally the captain of his own ship. Inspired by the
enlightenment in seventeenth century, humanists see themselves not merely as stewards
of the creation but as individuals who are in control of themselves and the world outside
them.

1. As a result of the motivation of the humanist current, scientists eventually turned to

technology in order to ease the difficulty of life as illustrated in the previous lessons.
2. Scientists of today meanwhile are ready to confront more sophisticated attempts at
altering the world for the benefit of humanity.
3. Some people are now willing to tamper with time and space in the name of technology.
4. Technology allowed us to tinker with our sexuality.

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